So much hype. If it's so eff then why does it need more energy that a 3000lb EV-1 of which the lead version only used 175wthrs/mile or the GM Impact, it's prptotype they should have built at 100wthrs/mile?

It's grown from 1000lbs IIRC to now the 1700+lb unit yet their MPG claim doesn't change!!

As far as weight my all composite body/chassis weighs far less that the VW does and not an once of CF. There is no reason it should weigh over 1200lbs and should be under 1000lbs.

Anyone want to bet this never gets produced? So I'd certainly call it a paper car. Sad as we need this class but done right.

JRoque: I, too, have to admit to having someskepticism about this, albeit not as much as you. I do believe VW will build this vehicle in very small quantities. I'm guessing maybe 5,000. However, I do not believe in the 261 mpg figure. If you apply the EPA methodology to this vehicle, I can gurantee the figure will drop.

In terms of local economics, I don't know how much effect we'll see from this, bobjengr. VW has said this vehicle will have "limited production," which could mean many things. But I think the number will vary from between 250 to 25,000 (these are my guesses; VW hasn't put a number on it). All you can hope for is that the excitement generated by this vehicle will convince VW execs to go to higher production volumes.

Great information Charles. I live in Chattanooga and the VW plant located here is a real God-send to our community. Chattanooga unemployment rate has dropped to a 6.4 % as a result of their facility and vendors locating in the area to support their activities. I know this is still historically high but certainly better than the 9.2 % we had before their locating in Hamilton County. Also, housing sales and apartment rentals have really picked up to the point where realtors are now back in business. I would love for the new hybrid to take hold, become a resounding success, and provide the American market from production and assembly in my home town. One can only wish. I think the design is striking--the very best I've seen. Again, great post.

Ah... the obligatory monthly VW "greatest car ever" press release. Their next one is a hybrid that runs on burps and static electricity. How many paper cars must VW publish before we see ANY come to market? I'm sure the XL1, and the next few VW announces, are great cars for the little people living in CAD rendering engines. How difficult is it for VW to slap an electric motor and batteries on one of their chassis and have something real to sell?

There is a huge gap between the actual data and the public perception.

Every gobal temp data set (UAH, GISS, HADCRUT etc.) shows level to declining temp trends for the last 13 to 19 years. Even warming gurus like James Hansen, Phil Jones and Pachuri have admitted as much.

The weak behavior of the current sunspot cycle (24) has many scientist mussing as to whether we might be entering a cooling minimum like the Dalton or Maunder minima. We'll see.

I'm still personally intrigued by by 3-wheelers, I think one that banks like a motorcycle would be a blast.

I notice a number of folks commenting on the vehicles weight in snow. Weight isn't really the issue. Ground clearance and ground pressure are. In deep snow a tall skinny aggressive tire is often preferable, a wider tire just floats up on the loose snow while a skinny tire will penetrate to the base, given adequate ground clearance. With the proper tire choice lighter weight is an advantage as it requires less force to over come the inertia to get it rolling.

The heavy vehicles that work well in snow typically have plenty of ground clearance and all wheel drive. But put a Hummer on 22" pimp wheels with wide summer tires and it will go nowhere in the winter. Old Saabs had tall skinny sneakers and weight biased over the drive wheels and they were great snow cars.

Old VWs would go through snow well for the same reason but their directional stability was, shall we say, negilgible. Chuckle.

That said, this little buggy has very little ground clearance and will end up suspended on the snow pack very quickly.

A few weeks ago, Ford Motor Co. quietly announced that it was rolling out a new wrinkle to the powerful safety feature called stability control, adding even more lifesaving potential to a technology that has already been very successful.

It won't be too much longer and hardware design, as we used to know it, will be remembered alongside the slide rule and the Karnaugh map. You will need to move beyond those familiar bits and bytes into the new world of software centric design.

People who want to take advantage of solar energy in their homes no longer need to install a bolt-on solar-panel system atop their houses -- they can integrate solar-energy-harvesting shingles directing into an existing or new roof instead.

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